VILLAGE GREEN GETS TRUSTEES' BLESSING

After two years of negotiations, the Arlington Heights Village Board has approved the Village Green retail-residential project.

The project will anchor the western end of the redeveloping central business district.

Already started at the eastern end of downtown is Arlington Town Square, which will have about 100 condominiums in a 13-story building, a six-screen movie theater and more than 25 shops and restaurants.

The $69 million Village Green project will be on Vail Street between Wing and Campbell Streets.

"We are glad to have 2 1/2 years of negotiations and work behind us," said Mark Anderson, a representative of Village Green developer A&T Investments, Arlington Heights.

"I think the village is very enthused about the project and looking forward to construction," said Bill Dixon, Village Manager.

Dixon said Village Green, which was first proposed in April, would bring more activity to downtown because of the residents and businesses that it will house.

The development will have three buildings with 264 housing units and retail businesses on the ground floors of the buildings.

One building will be 10 stories tall, and the other two will have eight stories. A landscaped courtyard with trees and shrubs will be located between two of the buildings.

Parking garages will be built below the buildings and will be for residential tenants only.

Jim Bristol, Village Green project manager for A&T Investments, said construction is to start in March. The complex is to be finished by the end of 1999, village officials said.

The project was approved subject to certain modifications, including the addition of 17 parking spaces and landscaping between Wing and Campbell Streets before residents move in.

Arlington Town Square, a Joseph Freed and Associates project, is being built on land west of Arlington Heights Road and north of Sigwalt Street.

Residents opposed the height of buildings in both developments.

A group called the Shadow Project sued to halt construction of Town Square. Opponents contend the buildings would bring unwanted traffic, concrete and city bustle to Arlington Heights.